Saturday, January 17, 2009

From the day The Beatles arrived in Dublin in 1963 at the height of Beatlemania and Paul McCartney announced 'it's great to be home', the Fab Four never hid their love for Ireland. They played two further gigs in Belfast within the year; John had bought an island off the Mayo coast by the end of that decade; and in the 1970s John and Paul were writing songs about the troubled events in Northern Ireland. Yet there has never been a book about their Irish connections. From George's family originating in Co Wexford to Paul choosing Castle Leslie in Monaghan for his wedding to Heather Mills, it's all here, including insights into what really went on at Paul's wedding reception and what Stella thought of being there.

This comprehensive guide details every connection The Beatles have had with Ireland, from their family trees to their concerts and the many visits they have made across the Irish Sea. Previously unpublished photographs enhance the exclusive interviews, fifteen years of research and first-hand accounts by people who spent time with the four young men who produced music that is unique and timeless. Containing prime Irish Beatle locations, an Irish charts discography, a detailed list of Beatles-related programmes on Irish radio and TV over the years, and so much more, this is the must-have book for every Beatles fan.

Michael Lynch from Laois is a laser technician with journalistic qualifications who has travelled the world to concerts and to meet stars such as David Bowie and Neil Tennant. Meeting Paul McCartney was his musical highlight. He writes for various websites when not working or following Manchester United.

Damian Smyth from Yorkshire lives in Dublin. He has worked with several Dublin bands as photographer and events promoter and has featured on radio programmes including the Dave Fanning Show. He has met many people connected with The Beatles, including Yoko Ono, the last being Paul McCartney the day before his wedding at Castle Leslie.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Elstree Studio Centre, Borehamwood, to record an appearance on Associated-Rediffusion's Morecambe And Wise Show. The group sang 'This Boy', 'All My Loving' and 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' live before a small studio audience and did comedy sketches with Eric and Ernie. The Beatles, Eric and Ernie, all dressed in striped blazers, closed the show with 'Moonlight Bay'. "The show won't be aired for a couple of months," the TV producer was heard to mutter to a colleague. "Let's hope they're still popular then."

Thursday, January 15, 2009

The music of the Beatles helped define the 1960s, and inspired not only musicians, but artists of the day who captured the spirit of John, Paul, George, and Ringo in their artwork. The Beatles continue to inspire artists, and some of the best examples of these images have been compiled by Boxigami Books.

The book features new art inspired by the Beatles and their music. It showcases some of the best new artists and illustrators from different regions of the globe all demonstrating their creativity on topics such as the Beatles music and lyrics.

Beatles Art truly captures the spirit of the group from the serious to the fun, and even includes additional statements and comments from select artists on how the Beatles impacted their art, their lives, and the world.

The Foreword is by Jock Bartley from the US band Firefall, who shares his own thoughts on the Beatles in an open and honest way that genuinely sets the tone for the great art contained in the book. Jock is an artist, musician, and a Beatle fan, so he brings his own unique perspective to the topic.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

A bumper anthology of interviews, accounts and recollections of the Beatles.

Over 30 landmark interviews, accounts, and memoirs of The Beatles and their entourage, recording how they inadvertently became counter-culture’s figureheads and changed society.

The pieces include Paul Johnson’s ‘The Menace of Beatlism’, Maureen Cleave’s ‘Beatles Bigger than Christ’ feature, the News of the World feature suggesting The Beatles were spent forces – just before they unleashed Sergeant Pepper on the world – interviews with their entourage and main loves; plus latter-day contributions from the likes of Paul Gambacinni, Dave Marsh, Greil Marcus.

Also included is a chronological tracing of each Beatles album and single, and analysis of all Beatles movie releases and television appearances.

Decca Audition - January 1, 1962:1 Like Dreamers Do2 Money (That’s What I Want)3 ‘Till There Was You4 The Sheik Of Araby5 To Know Her Is To Love Her6 Take Good Care Of My Baby7 Memphis8 Sure To Fall9 Hello Little Girl10 Three Cool Cats11 Crying, Waiting, Hoping12 Love Of The Loved13 September In The Rain14 Besame Mucho15 Searchin'Cavern Club Rehearsal - circa September 1962:16 I Saw Her Standing There17 One After 90918 One After 90919 Catswalk20 Catswalk

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Sunnyview Rehearsals1 Medley: Bring It On Home To Me/Send Me Some Loving2 Ya Ya3 Ya Ya4 That'll Be The Day5 That'll Be The Day6 Do You Want To Dance7 Stand By Me8 Peggy Sue9 Be-Bop-A-Lula10 Slippin' And Slidin'11 Instrumental12 Thirty Days13 C'mon Everybody14 Ain't That A Shame15 Ain't That A Shame16 Ain't That A Shame17 Ain't That A Shame18 Instrumental19 Instrumental Salute To Sir Lew20 Slippin' And Slidin'21 Stand By Me22 Imagine23 Slippin' And Slidin'24 Imagine25 Imagine Old Grey Whistle Test26 Stand By Me27 Slippin' And Slidin'28 Stand By Me29 Slippin' And Slidin'30 Stand By Me31 Slippin' And Slidin'32 Lady Marmalade

Rough Mixes1 Be My Baby2 Just Because3 You Can't Catch Me4 Sweet Little Sixteen5 Bony Moronie6 Ready Teddy7 Ain't That A Shame8 Peggy Sue9 Be My Baby Offline Rough Mixes10 Stand By Me/Be-Bop-A-Lula11 Ya Ya12 Do You Want To Dance13 Do You Want To Dance14 Stand By Me15 Slippin' And Slidin'16 Medley: Rip It Up/Ready Teddy17 Medley: Bring It On Home To Me/Send Me Some Loving18 Medley: Bring It On Home To Me/Send Me Some Loving19 Peggy Sue20 Ain't That A Shame21 Stand By Me22 Radio Spot

"You Should'a Been There?" With Brandy Alexanders and the Wall Of Sound, you are there! This three-CD set brings into focus for the first time John Lennon's legendary Rock 'N' Roll sessions, both with and without producer Phil Spector. A document of a troubled time in John's life, this collection shows both the peaks and valleys in an extraordinary year and a half of work from October 1973 (when the project began) until February 1975 (when the album was finally issued). Highlights include several tracking sessions, rehearsals and live performances from the era creating a fully rounded audio picture. Also included in its entirety is the Adam VIII Roots LP in its finest quality to date.

Roots1 Be-Bop-A-Lula2 Ain't That A Shame3 Stand By Me4 Sweet Little Sixteen5 Rip It Up/Ready Teddy6 Angel Baby7 Do You Want To Dance8 You Can't Catch Me9 Bony Moronie10 Peggy Sue11 Medley: Bring It On Home To Me/Send Me Some Loving12 Slippin' And Slidin'13 Be My Baby14 Ya Ya15 Just Because With Elton John16 I Saw Her Standing There17 Whatever Gets You Through The Night18 Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds19 I Saw Her Standing There20 I Saw Her Standing There

Following in the tradition of Vigotone's earlier Lennon projects focusing on the recording histories of his solo albums, such as The Dream Is Over, Imagine All The Outtakes and Imagine More Session Tapes, Absolute Elsewhere, and Listen To This!, Brandy Alexanders and the Wall Of Sound brings into focus for the first time John Lennon's legendary Rock 'n' Roll sessions. A document of a troubled time in John's life, this collection shows both the peaks and valleys in an extraordinary year and a half of work from October 1973 (when the project began) until February 1975 (when the album was finally issued).

During the months of this period, John was living in Los Angeles, away from his wife and living the "high life". Work was secondary to having a good time during this "Lost Weekend", and even though the L.A. sessions for what was to become Rock 'n' Roll began with the best intentions (Phil Spector as producer, John as vocalist, just like the old days of Philles Records), they soon degenerated into a drink and drug-infested debacle. Then the sessions abruptly discontinued when Spector was involved in a car accident and John was left holding the bag that held no finished tapes. In the interim, John moved back to New York and recorded Pussy Cats with Harry Nilsson and another LP of his own, Walls And Bridges, which utilized the artwork that had been prepared for Rock 'n' Roll.

John finally got the Spector tapes back in late 1974 and was astonished to hear the discordant and sluggish performances and production. Not wanting to leave a project unfinished, however, he quickly booked more studio time at Record Plant New York and whipped up some more oldies to accompany the four usable Spector tracks. The results were initially released as the result of a "misunderstanding" between Adam VIII owner (and well-known rock and roll ripoff artist) Morris Levy and John that was the result of John giving Levy a 7 1/2 ips tape of rough mixes of the material considered for Rock 'n' Roll. Levy believed that there was an "arrangement" to releases the material on Levy's label to get John off the hook for legalities resulting from John's appropriation of lyrics for "Come Together" from Levy-owned Chuck Berry composition "You Can't Catch Me". This of course was not the case, and when Capitol / EMI learned of the existence of Roots - John Lennon Sings The Great Rock & Roll Hits (TV advertisements for which began appearing in early 1975), a rush-release of the original Rock 'n' Roll LP, with two fewer tracks than the Adam VIII package and some different fades on the remaining songs, was scheduled for February 1975. Roots was quickly pulled off the market, Rock 'n' Roll was a moderate chart success, and another round of legal battles began. It was the last music that the public heard from John until 1980.

Which brings us to the package you are holding now. On its three CD's Brandy Alexanders and the Wall Of Sound includes rehearsals and several tracking and mixing dates from all the sessions. Also included in its entirety is the Roots LP in its finest quality to date. To top it off, live performances from this era (including his November 1974 appearance with Elton John from an electrifying audience tape and the 1975 Salute To Sir Lew Grade performance in both unsweetened and sweetened versions), the video session for "Stand By Me" and "Slippin' And Slidin'" and other contemporary odds and ends create a fully rounded audio picture of this hectic era in the professional life of John Lennon.

The Complete Apple Studio Performance Part One DISC 15 (63:28) I - (Unknown)/Hey, Good Lookin' - NEW 2 - Take This Hammer/Lost John/Five Feet High and Rising/'Bear Cat"/ Black Dog Blues/Right String, Wrong Yo-Yo/Run For Your Life 3 - Two of Us (Take 10A) 4 - Two of Us/Friendship (take 10B) 5 - Turkey in the Straw 6 - Step Inside Love - NEW 7 - Friendship/Tales of Frankie Rabbit - NEW 8 - Two of Us (Take 11) 9 - 'Deed I Do/In The Middle of an Island/All Together Now 10 - Two of Us (Take 12) II - The Long and Winding Road (Take 13A) 12 - The Long and Winding Road fTake 13B) 13 - The Long and Winding Road (Non-Take) 14 - The Long and Winding Road (Take 14) 15 - The Long and Winding Road (Take 15A) - NEW 16 - The Long and Winding Road (Take 15B) - NEW 17 - The Long and Winding Road (Take 16A) 18 - The Long and Winding Road (Take 16B) 19 - The Long and Winding Road (Take 16C) 20 - The Long and Winding Road (Take 16D) - NEW 21 - Lady Madonna 22 - The Long and Winding Road (Take 17A) 23 - The Long and Winding Road (Take 17B) 24 - The Long and Winding Road (Take 18) 25 - The Long and Winding Road (Take 19) (3:44) - 31.22

DISC FIFTEEN – 63.28The Complete Apple Studio Performance Part OneRemember your excitement when you first saw that the January 31st studio session had come out on disc? Remember your disappointment when you found out that it had been chopped into annoying little pieces? That situation has been righted here in a big way. Disc 15 contains each and every take of "Two of Us" and "The Long and Winding Road" in complete forms And there’s the bonus of warm–up and between song jams and oldies (including a MUCH longer presentation of "Lady Madonna").

Friday, January 3101 – (Unknown) / Hey, Good Lookin' (1.35) – 31.NEWRoll 1150B – the group warm up for "Two of Us" with an as yet unidentified song which leads into John singing a portion of Hank Williams "Hey, Good Lookin’ ".

02 – Take This Hammer / Lost John / Five Feet High and Rising / "Bear Cat" / Black Dog Blues / Right String, Wrong Yo–Yo / Run For Life (8.40) – 24.59Roll 1150B – The Beatles have a little fun with this hodge–podge of oldies. "Take this Hammer" and "Lost John" are Lonnie Donnegan songs from 1959. George then leads the band into Johnny Cash’s "Five Feet High and Rising". They don’t remember much of that song so John leads them into the traditional "Black Dog Blues". Winding down the medley are a few lines of "Right String, Wrong Yo–Yo" from George which leads to John and Paul singing the entire first verse of "Run For Your Life". The medley ends with a brief reprise of "Black Dog Blues".

03 – Two of Us (Take 10A) (1.04) – 31.1Roll 564A – This performance breaks down during the introduction because the tempo is far too slow.

04 – Two of Us / Friendship (take 10B) (3.38) – 31.2 + 31.3Roll 564A – John and Paul’s acoustic guitars are very much out of tune. As this take winds down John sings a brief obscene parody of "Friendship", a Cole Porter song from 1945.

05 – Turkey in the Straw (0.41) – 31.4Roll 564A – John sings amusing lyrics bemoaning his lack of tuning to the tune "Turkey in the Straw".

DISC SIXTEEN – 50.13The Complete Apple Studio Performance Part TwoThis disc features a comprehensive look at the recording of "Let It Be". Take 27A was issued with varying edits and overdubs as a single and on the Let It Be album. Take 27B was shown in the Let It Be film. The surprises here are previously undocumented attempts at "I Want You (She’s So Heavy)" and "Oh! Darling".

02 – Let It Be (rehearsal) (0.07) – 31.23Roll 565A – A fragment of a rehearsal.

03 – Let It Be (Take 20A) (1.36) – 31.24Roll 565A – This performance goes along fine until Glyn notices that Paul is singing too close to his mike, causing distortion on his vocal. John is annoyed by the interruption.

07 – Let It Be (Take 22) (4.33) – 31.NEWRoll 565A – At the end of this performance, John requests a bathroom break in his irresistible manner while George breaks into a riff that sounds like "All Around the Watchtower". "Are we supposed to giggle in the solo?" John asks. "Yeah" Paul answers and they go into the following take.

08 – Let It Be (Take 23) (4.17) – 31.29 + 31.30Roll 565A – A good performance but John "has lost a bass note." At the end, Michael Lindsay Hogg asks for silence from everyone so they can slate the camera for the next take.

09 – Let It Be (Take 24) (3.50) – 31.31Roll 566A – This performance is falling apart when Paul and Billy turn in into a unique solo rendition.

10 – Let It Be (Take 25A) (0.56) – 31.32Roll 566A – This performance breaks down at the start of the chorus, causing John to issue a stream of light–hearted profanity. Paul and John then clown around in mock German.

11 – Let It Be (Take 25B) (3.50) – 31.33 + 31.34Roll 566A – While the performance sounds passable, Paul has given up. In this version he sings "Brother Malcolm" instead of "Mother Mary".

14 – Let It Be (Take 26B) (2.59) – 31.36Roll 566A – The song breaks down in the third verse.

15 – Oh! Darling (3.14) – 31.NEWRoll 1155B – The band takes a break from recording "Let It Be" so Paul takes the opportunity to revisit his new composition. About halfway into the song John sings along with Paul.

17 – Let It Be (Take 27A) (4.22) – 31.38Roll 566A – A virtually flawless performance, marred only by a mediocre guitar solo from George. On April 30th , George will overdub a new solo creating a version chosen for inclusion on the aborted Get Back album. More overdubs were done later to create the single and LP versions.

18 – Let It Be (Take 27B) (4.04) – 31.39Roll 566A – George laughs over the song’s introduction, but the band turns in another excellent performance. This was included in the film Let It Be. This take brought the Get Back sessions to a close.

DISC THIRTEEN – 67.47The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part NineAfter finishing their inventory of live show candidates (tracks 1 through 4), The Beatles spend some time experimenting with new songs and enjoying some oldies. John usurps George’s roll of lead singer for a loose version of "Something" and Billy Preston trades vocals with John in a raucous "I Want You (She’s So Heavy)". The band revisits "Dig It", but with a faster tempo, with John actually recalling a number of the lyrics he had sung on the January 26th version and singing the titles of all the line show candidates when he runs out of ideas. A number of enjoyable Buddy Holly covers are here as well.

08 – Something (2.40) – 29.NEWRoll 556A – George starts playing the melody on his guitar, the rest of the band join in with John providing vocals.

09 – Sexy Sadie (1.36) – 29.NEWRoll 556A – John leads the band through a mostly instrumental pass of this White Album number.

10 – Dig It (6.51) – 29.5Roll 1142B – This version is performed at a much faster tempo than previous passes. Paul contributes a scat backing vocal.

11 – Besame Mucho (2.29) – 29.12–29.15edit of Rolls 557A / 1142B – Paul does his best Desi Arnez imitation and belts out the lyrics as well as he can remember them. Note that the camera beeps have been edited out.

12 – Three Cool Cats (2.29) – 29.NEWRoll 557A – A slow version of the Coasters song which obviously was a longtime favorite of the band having also been performed at the Decca audition session over seven years earlier.

13 – I Got to Find My Baby (0.47) – 28.12Roll 557A – Paul shouts out a misremembered lyric. George and John pick up on it, and the band runs through a brief and ragged performance. Paul suggests "One After 909" and is greeted by a "fuck you" from John who is reluctant to visit the song again.

14 – One After 909 (3.02) – 29.NEWRoll 557A – Paul gets his way and they run through a perfunctory version with John playing around most of the whole way.

15 – One After 909 (3.05) – 29.NEWRoll 1143B – Another pass with John playing it straight this time.

16 – Vacation Time (0.45) – 29.6Roll 559A – John takes the lead vocal on this loose cover of an obscure Chuck Berry number. This brief performance is not without charm but falls apart, probably because of their trouble remembering how the song goes.

17 – Cannonball / Not Fade Away / Hey Little Girl (In the High School Sweater) / Bo Diddley (4.25) – 29.7Roll 559A – This medley begins with Ringo pounding out the drum beat for "Cannonball" as George plays along with guitar. After a few bars they segue into "Not Fade Away" and George provides a few lines of vocal. John joins in, and sings a bit of "Hey Little Girl". Apparently able to remember nothing more than the song’s catch phrase, he switches to Bo Diddley.

18 – Maybe Baby (2.32) – 29.8edit Rolls 559A / 1144B – This particular performance is complete, with John taking the lead. For once, he has a good recollection of a song’s lyrics. Note that the camera beeps have been edited out.

19 – Peggy Sue Got Married / Thinking of Linking (1.52) – 29.9Roll 559A – John leads the band into another Buddy Holly song, but he has almost no recollection of the lyrics except the title. After letting the performance lapse to an instrumental, John begins singing what words he can remember from "Thinking of Linking".

20 – Crying, Waiting, Hoping (2.38) – 29.10Roll 559A – George takes over from John on this one as The Beatles perform another Buddy Holly classic. John and Paul provide pleasant backing harmonies, and George plays a fine guitar solo.

21 – Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues (1.52) – 29.11Roll 1144B – John takes the lead vocal on this one with support from George. Again, it’s obvious the band knows this one by heart, and John tries his best to duplicate Holly’s vocal mannerisms.

22 – Teddy Boy (3.34) – 29.NEWRoll 560A – Paul tries again to get John interested in this song. John responds with a snore and some bad slide guitar fills.

23 – Two of Us (3.27) – 29.NEWRoll 561A – After a straight forward start John and Paul sing the song using funny voices.

DISC FOURTEEN – 46.14The Complete Apple Rooftop ConcertDisc 14 contains as complete a presentation of the January 30th rooftop concert as we’ll ever hear. The show has been meticulously reconstructed from all the available material, with everything (including a loose "I Want You" and the long elusive "God Save the Queen") restored to it’s original chronological order.

Wednesday, January 3001 – rooftop setup (1.24)Roll 562A – The Beatles arrive on the rooftop. Excerpts are seen in the film Let It Be. Ringo comments "Mal? …You’ve nailed me down in the wrong place." Michael Lindsay Hogg calls a halt to the filming while they make adjustments to the instruments.

02 – Get Back (2.30) – 30.NEWRoll 1146 slate 1 – This rehearsal was only captured on the tape recorder running down on the street in front of the Apple building.

03 – Get Back (3.58) – 30.1Roll 562A – The group runs through this number as a warm–up. Paul shows his enthusiasm to be performing live and gives an impassioned vocal.

04 – I Want You (She's So Heavy) (1.45) – 30.NEWRoll 1146 slate 1 – Again, this bit of the rooftop concert was only captured on the tape recorder running down on the street in front of the Apple building.

05 – Get Back (3.26) – 30.2Roll 562A – A much tighter performance, with fine musicianship from everyone. This performance appears in the film Let It Be.

06 – Don't Let Me Down (3.29) – 30.3Roll 562A – The performance is quite good until John blows the first line of the second verse, singing gibberish because he can’t recall the lyrics. This take appears in the film Let It Be.

07 – I've Got a Feeling (5.14) – 30.4Roll 562A – Easily the best performance of the song. George plays an intentionally distorted guitar and Paul delivers a superb vocal. John fiddles with the lyrics a bit and sings the title of Little Richard’s "Oooh! My Soul" as the song comes to an end. This performance appears in the film Let It Be and on the LP.

08 – One After 909 (0.17) – 30.5Roll 562A – A false start. The song is halted so the camera can be started.

09 – One After 909 (2.45) – 30.6Roll 562A – Another exceptional performance, again easily the best from these sessions. The band rolls smoothly through this song with George inserting some fine guitar licks and John and Paul teaming up for a flawless vocal. It was selected for the aborted Get Back album as well as the film and LP Let It Be.

10 – Danny Boy (0.09) – 30.7Roll 62A – John sings one misremembered line as a tag to "One After 909".

11 – Dig a Pony (1.39) – 30.NEWRoll ? – Camera C – This recorder located in the reception of the Apple building was the only one to capture this rehearsal.

12 – Dig a Pony (4.32) – 30.8Roll 562A – George counts in but Ringo stops him in order to adjust his hi–hat. That accomplished, they turn in a credible if somewhat perfunctory performance, with John singing the lyrics from a clipboard. At the end, Michael orders the crew to reload the cameras. This performance also appears in the film Let It Be. It also appears on the LP with a few seconds of lyric edited out of the intro and outro.

13 – God Save the Queen (2.11) – 30.NEWRoll 1149 – This comes from a tape recorder that was running during a playback of the rooftop concert in Apple studios for the Beatles.

14 – I've Got a Feeling (5.29) – 30.9Roll 563A – Another pass on this song. The performance is inferior in nearly every way to the other one. George is a bit experimental with his guitar part and John sings the correct lyrics this time.

15 – A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody (0.05) – 30.10Roll 563A – Once again, John sings a bit of a standard as a tag to a performance.

16 – Get Back (0.06) – 30.11Roll 563A – George and Paul begin to play this song but John interrupts the performance and asks to do the following tune.

17 – Don't Let Me Down (3.31) – 30.12Roll 563A – Unfortunately, John ruins the take on the very first line of the first verse this time. The musicianship gets a bit sloppy the rest of the way.

18 – Get Back (3.42) – 30.13Roll 563A – The police arrive on the roof along with Mal and George leads the group into the closing number. At the end of the first verse Mal has turned off John and George’s amps and the performance almost breaks down. Paul and Ringo carry on. George reaches over and turns his amp back on. John does the same and the performance continues. At the end, Paul appropriately improvises some lyrics in response to the police. And so ended the Beatles’ last public performance.

The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Seven DISC 11 (72:45) 1 - Get Back o NEW 2 - Get Back 3 - Get Back - NEW 4 - Get Back - NEW 5 - I've Got a Feeling 6 - "You Won't Get Me That Way''/The Walk 7 - I've Got a Feeling 8 - "The River Rhine"/The Long and Winding Road 9 - I've Got a Feeling - NEW 10 - I've Got a Feeling - NEW 11 - I've Got a Feeling -NEW 12 - Dig a Pony-NEW 13 - Dig a Pony-NEW 14 - Get Back - NEW 15 - Love Me Do - NEW 16 - Get Back 17 - Don't Let Me Down 18 - I've Got a Feeling 19 - Don't Let Me Down 20 - I've Got a Feeling - NEW

The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Eight DISC 12 (72:06) 1 - One After 909 2 - Old Brown Shoe - NEW 3 - Old Brown Shoe - NEW 4 - Old Brown Shoe - NEW 5 - I Want You (She's So Heavy) - NEW 6 - Something - NEW 7 - Get Back - NEW 8 - Teddy Boy 9 - All Things Must Pass 10 - All Things Must Pass - NEW 11 - I Want You (She's So Heavy) - NEW 12 - I Want You (She's So Heavy) 13 - Dig a Pony-NEW 14 - I've Got a Peeling - NEW 15 - Don't Let Me Down - NEW 16 - Get Back - NEW 17 - One After 909 - NEW 18 - She Came in Through the Bathroom Window - NEW 19 - Two of Us-NEW 20 - Let It Be- NEW 21 - The Long and Winding Road - NEW

DISC ELEVEN – 72.45The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part SevenInteresting items abound, including two unique versions of "I’ve Got a Feeling" (tracks 10 and 11) where John sings everything with a little assistance from Billy Preston, as Paul is temporarily away from the session. We also get to hear (finally!) the 1969 version of the band’s first single "Love Me Do" which is slowed to a blues tempo with the Beatles’ hearts in the right place, even if all the notes aren’t. Track 16 is the version of "Get Back" that had it’s coda appropriated for use on the single, the "Get Back" album, and the tail end of the "Let It Be" film. It’s heard in its natural context for the very first time here. Tracks 17 and 19 were both used for the single version of "Don’t Let Me Down".

Monday, January 27 (continued)01 – Get Back (3.08) – 27.NEWRoll 517A – A tight rendition until they reach the reprise.

02 – Get Back (2.50) – 27.5Roll 1108B – This one is played strictly for laughs. Paul sings through the song in pseudo–German, switching to pseudo–French for the final verse.

03 – Get Back (3.47) – 27.NEWRoll 519A – Another good version. Paul comments "here comes the fudge" at the end.

04 – Get Back (3.14) – 27.NEWRoll 519A – They have all but mastered this one. Here John varies his solo slightly.

05 – I've Got a Feeling (3.33) – 27.10Roll 521A – John suggests once again that they speed up the tempo a bit. They’re clearly uncomfortable with this, however, and Ringo consistently has trouble keeping the beat.

06 – "You Won't Get Me That Way" / The Walk (4.11) – 27.12Roll 521A – Billy leads the band into a basic blues jam. Paul improvises some generic blues lyrics followed by what he can remember of Jimmy McCracklin’s song "The Walk". A portion of "The Walk" was included on an undocumented mix of the Get Back LP that was aired on east coast radio stations in September of 1969.

07 – I've Got a Feeling (4.31) – 27.13edit of Rolls 1110B / 111B / Yellow Dog’s Celluloid Rock – As the song almost breaks down because of feedback from his guitar, John jokingly apologizes for screwing up again. After this amusing moment they start again and turn in a spirited performance. The missing part hasn’t been captured on any Nagra tape so an excerpt from Yellow Dog’s Celluloid Rock version has been edited on.

08 – "The River Rhine" / The Long and Winding Road (4.21) – 28.10Roll 525A – Billy leads the band into this blues improvisation. Paul extemporizes some fitting lyrics, repeating them a number of times.

10 – I've Got a Feeling (2.30) – 28.NEWRoll 527A – Billy is present but Paul has left the session for half an hour, so John sings this one alone.

11 – I've Got a Feeling (3.40) – 28.NEWRoll 529A – John alone again on this somewhat ragged version. Billy throws in a line off–mike for good measure.

12 – Dig a Pony (3.46) – 28.NEWRoll 532A – A very strong version with a slightly reserved vocal from John.

13 – Dig a Pony (3.53) – 28.NEWRoll 532A – "I think the other one was better, let’s go Get Back" John sings at the end.

14 – Get Back (4.03) – 28.NEWRoll 1122B – John emits some nice burps to start this version. A good version with an extended reprise.

15 – Love Me Do (2.10) – 28.NEWRoll 1122B – A complete rendition of their first single. The tempo is slow and somewhat bluesy. We have the longest tape here but if Mark Lewishon is correct, twelve seconds are still missing.

16 – Get Back (3.58) – 28.1Roll 534A – A complete take with reprise. A portion of the song’s coda has been grafted on to the end of a take from January 27 for the single.

17 – Don't Let Me Down (3.39) – 28.4Roll 1123B – The band comes together perfectly for this take but has some lyric mistakes from John. This take was released as the b–side of the "Get Back" single, with additional vocals grafted on from track 19.

18 – I've Got a Feeling (3.56) – 27.16Roll 535A – A half–hearted performance and by the time they reach John’s solo they’ve given up any pretense of turning in a serious performance.

19 – Don't Let Me Down (4.02) – 28.2Roll 535A – This performance bears a reasonable resemblance to the one that was eventually released (see track 17), but some off notes can be heard and Paul’s playing is not quite up to his usual high standard. Part of the vocals were grafted from this pass onto the track 17 version to create the single version.

20 – I've Got a Feeling (3.47) – 28.NEWRoll 536A – John starts the song with a count–in in French.

DISC TWELVE – 72. 06The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part EightThe Beatles spent most of the latter portion of the January 28th session working on songs they’d never get a chance to complete during the "Get Back" period. Early versions of "Something" and "I Want You" are especially interesting. Much of the January 29 th session heard on tracks 13 through 21 and all of disc 13 was spent taking inventory of all the perfected songs, and running through them once or twice to make certain they could be played at the show the following day. Their vocal performance are notable tame during the "rooftop rehearsal" as they attempt to save their voices.

05 – I Want You (She's So Heavy) (5.29) – 28.NEWRoll 540A – Billy shares the vocal with John. A nice version with a funky spiritual feel.

06 – Something (1.27) – 28.NEWRoll 542A – John provides answering vocals to George’s but the song breaks down amid some confusion.

07 – Get Back (2.48) – 28.NEWRoll 542A – Another run–through. Paul’s bass is nearly inaudible until near the end.

08 – Teddy Boy (3.58) – 28.25Roll 544A – Paul plays acoustic guitar and sings accompanied by Ringo. John adds an occasional backup vocal along with some electric guitar fills. A portion of this take is heard on Anthology 3.

09 – All Things Must Pass (2.54) – 29.16Roll 545A – Paul sings the first line, John the second, then George joins in. "In the beginning was the word." John concludes.

10 – All Things Must Pass (3.04) – 28.NEWRoll 545A – George sings it straight while Paul and John experiment with the backing vocals.

11 – I Want You (She's So Heavy) (4.44) – 28.NEWRoll 546A – No Billy vocal but the song maintains a funky feel. A shaker is added to the instrumentation.

12 – I Want You (She's So Heavy) (2.42) – 28.28Roll 547A – We join the song in mid–take. George adds his guitar to the mix. John comments "Allen Klein’s here … Look out!"

18 – She Came in Through the Bathroom Window (3.08) – 29.NEWRoll 552A – They perform the song at a slow tempo. John adds nice background vocals.

19 – Two of Us (3.44) – 29.NEWRoll 552A – Ringo’s tom–tom is prominent in this take.

20 – Let It Be (3.45) – 29.NEWRoll 552A – Paul calls out "yeah man" to encourage George during the solo. The piano drops out during the middle of the song and returns near the end. Paul has yet to settle on a third verse.

21 – The Long and Winding Road (2.43) – 29.NEWRoll 553A – Paul vocalizes a solo. "A bit heavy on the bass" he tells John at the end of the song and suggests he play with a plectrum (pick).

The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Five DISC 9 (71:28) 1 - Miss Ann/Kansas City/Lawdy Miss Clawdy 2 - Blue Suede Shoes 3 - You Really Got a Hold on Me 4 - (Improvisation) 5 - (Improvisation) - NEW 6 - Let It Be - NEW 7 - Let It Be - NEW 8 - Let It Be 9 - "I Told You Before" 10 - "I Told You Before" - NEW 11 - The Long and Winding Road - NEW 12 - The Long and Winding Road - NEW 13 - The Long and Winding Road - NEW 14 - The Long and Winding Road 15 - The Long and Winding Road 16 - The Long and Winding Road - NEW 17 - The Long and Winding Road 18 - Strawberry Fields Forever 19 - Let It Be- NEW

The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Six DISC 10 (72:21) 1 - Let It Be - NEW 2 - The Long and Winding Road - NEW 3 - Old Brown Shoe - NEW 4 - Old Brown Shoe - NEW 5 - Old Brown Shoe - NEW 6 - Old Brown Shoe 7 - (Improvisation) - NEW 8 - "I Told You Before" - NEW 9 - "I Told You Before" - NEW 10 - Don't Let Me Down - NEW 11 - Get Back - NEW 12 - Get Back - NEW 13 - Get Back - NEW 14 - Get Back - NEW 15 - Get Back - NEW 16 - Get Back - NEW 17 - Oh Darting 18 - Get Back - NEW 19 - Get Back - NEW 20 - Get Back

DISC NINE – 71.28The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part FiveDisc 9 features a plethora of never before heard takes of "The Long and Winding Road", culminating with the unadulterated version of the performance that was dressed up for the Let It Be album. (Note that the book "Get Back" was WAY off on date of THIS one!) We also get three January 26 th takes of "Let It Be" (the last of which wound up on the Glyn Johns acetates that were broadcast on American radio in 1969, as well as some fine examples of The Beatles jamming and enjoying themselves with some oldies.

Sunday, January 26 (continued)01 – Miss Ann / Kansas City / Lawdy Miss Clawdy (4.06) – 26.30edit of Rolls 487A / 488A and the Barrett tapes – A fine rock and roll medley. Part of Lawdy Miss Clawdy is on a missing Nagra tape and an excerpt from the Barrett tapes version has been edited on.

02 – Blue Suede Shoes (2.16) – 26.31Roll 488A – John leads the band into another oldie and once again shares the lead vocal with Paul. This is one song they all know by heart, and the performance is very enjoyable.

03 – You Really Got a Hold on Me (3.26) – 26.32Roll 488A – George leads the band into yet another oldie, sharing lead vocals with John, whose inability to remember the song’s lyrics or structure mars the performance. A portion of this performance is seen in the film Let It Be.

06 – Let It Be (3.51) – 26.NEWRoll 490A – Paul has trouble with some of the lyrics.

07 – Let It Be (3.55) – 26.NEWedit of Rolls 1078B / 491A – Paul still has yet to settle on the third verse lyrics and he improvises here.

08 – Let It Be (3.58) – 26.36Roll 491A – A complete performance, with Paul singing an impromptu combination of the first and second verses in place of the as–yet–unwritten third. It was chosen for inclusion on the Get Back LP.

14 – The Long and Winding Road (1.37) – 26.38Roll 495A – Paul plays around with the song. He sings and plays it with a Brazilian flavor.

15 – The Long and Winding Road (3.25) – 26.39Roll 495A – During this pass, George plays the melody on his guitar. Paul continues to work out the song’s arrangement.

16 – The Long and Winding Road (3.20) – 26.NEWRoll 495A – A very loose version but the song is beginning to take shape.

17 – The Long and Winding Road (4.29) – 31.20Roll 498A – This is take one with two false starts. Paul recites the middle eight lyric over the instrumental break, obscuring Billy’s organ solo and plays a brief coda on the piano at the song’s conclusion. This performance was chosen for inclusion on the Let It Be album and on the unreleased Get Back LP.

Monday, January 2718 – Strawberry Fields Forever (2.08) – 27.2Roll 500A – Paul plays piano and sings the first verse softly. He then sings a final verse on mike.

19 – Let It Be (3.45) – 27.NEWRoll 1094B – A fairly loose version still without a last verse. Paul requests that they "slow up more on the end."

DISC TEN – 72.21The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part SixDisc 10 consists almost entirely of never before heard material. While recording "Get Back" was clearly the band’s top priority on January 27 th , they also found time to work on "Let It Be", "The Long and Winding Road" and George’s new song "Old Brown Shoe". It seems possible (likely, in fact) that track 7 is what Glyn captured on multitrack tape and dubbed "Untitled Jamming". Track 20 is the performance that was used for both the single and album versions of "Get Back", heard here in it’s original, undoctored form.

Monday, January 27 (continued)01 – Let It Be (3.51) – 27.NEWRoll 505A – A loose rendition though George’s solo is starting to take shape.

02 – The Long and Winding Road (3.34) – 27.NEWRoll 507A – A good take of the song with John briefly joining in the singing.

03 – Old Brown Shoe (3.23) – 27.NEWRoll 508A – George plays his new composition on piano. Ringo joins in. John adds bass. At the end of the first pass George comments "pianos (are) very difficult, aren’t they?"

04 – Old Brown Shoe (2.57) – 27.NEWRoll 508A – George plays the song again while the rest of the lads work on their parts.

10 – Don't Let Me Down (3.39) – 27.NEWRoll 512A – They return to John’s composition and turn in a very tight version.

11 – Get Back (2.25) – 27.NEWRoll 513A – A very up–tempo and energetic version with Paul singing parody Japanese lyrics at the beginning for fun.

12 – Get Back (3.06) – 27.NEWRoll 513A – They slow the song back down and come up with a fairly good rendition.

13 – Get Back (2.51) – 27.NEWRoll 1109B – Another good version.

14 – Get Back (3.05) – 27.NEWRoll 514A – An even better take.

15 – Get Back (3.31) – 27.NEWRoll 514A – John joins Paul on the chorus vocals. John’s lead is not as strong as the previous two passes. This version has a nice reprise.

16 – Get Back (3.49) – 27.NEWedit of Rolls 514A / 1104B – Paul comments "nearly" at the end of the pass.

17 – Oh! Darling (6.34) – 27.3Roll 515A = Paul leads the band into this performance, which starts out slow and bluesy. Paul and John share the vocal, with Paul playing bass. A portion of this performance was released on Anthology 3.

18 – Get Back (3.19) – 27.NEWedit of Rolls 515A / 1104B – Another strong performance. Paul throws in some lyrics from "Rock Around the Clock" at the end of the reprise.

19 – Get Back (2.57) – 27.NEWRoll 516A – John’s solo is not very tight but otherwise a good take.

20 – Get Back (3.12) – 27.6Roll 516A – A superb performance, featuring strong solos from John and Billy. George provides a nice choppy rhythm guitar and Paul delivers the lyrics in his usual assured style. This was the performance used for the single. As well as for the Get Back and Let It Be albums. For the later album, the dialogue preceding the performance has been kept and mixed with the audience noises from the rooftop concert. For the single, the reprise from a take recorded on January 28th has been grafted on to the end.

The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Three DISC 7 (68:28) I -"There You Are, Eddie" 2 - Diggin' My Potatoes 3 - Hey Liley, Liley-Lo 4 - Rock Island Line 5 - Michael Row the Boat 6 - Rock-A-Bye Baby 7 - Singing The Blues 8 - Dig It 9 - Dig It 10 - Get Back II - Get Back/Little Demon/Maybellene/You Can't Catch Me/ Brown-Eyed Handsome Man 12 - Short Fat Fannie 13 - Get Back 14 - Bad Boy 15 - Sweet Little Sixteen 16 - Around and Around 17 - Almost Grown 18 - School Day 19 - Stand By Me/Where Have You Been 20 - Get Back 21 - I Lost My Little Girl 22 - Two of Us - NEW 23 - Two of Us - NEW 24 - Bye Bye Love 25 - Two of Us 26 - For You Blue - NEW 27 -For You Blue - NEW 28 -For You Blue -NEW

The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Four DISC 8 (65:53) 1 - For You Blue 2 - For You Blue - NEW 3 - For You Blue 4 - Let It Be - NEW 5 - Let It Be - NEW 6 - I'm Talking About You 7 - Let It Be - NEW 8 - Let It Be - NEW 9 - Isn't It a Pity 10 - Window, Window 11 - Octopus's Garden 12 - High School Confidential 13 - Great Balls of Fire 14 - Great Balls of Fire 15 - Let It Be - NEW 16 - Let It Be - NEW 17 - Let It Be - NEW 18 - Let It Be - NEW 19 - Let It Be - NEW 20 - Dig It 21 - Rip It Up (2:36) - 26.28 22 - Shake. Rattle and Roll

DISC SEVEN – 68.28The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part ThreeThis disc shows what The Beatles did in between takes and during equipment changeovers to enjoy themselves – namely playing songs by Lonnie Donnigan and Chuck Berry. We also finally get to hear the complete version of John and Paul harmonizing to the Everly Brother’s classic "Bye Bye Love" (up to now we only had a tantalizing two second clip!), as well as the beginning of a very comprehensive look at the recording of George’s "For You Blue". And what could be more fun than John singing a version of the very first song Paul ever wrote (track 21)?

Friday, January 24 (continued)01 – "There You Are, Eddie" (2.28) – 24.49Roll 446A? – Paul offers up another of his own compositions for acoustic guitar, this time a gentle folk tune.

05 – Michael Row the Boat (0.59) – 24.6506 – Rock–A–Bye Baby (0.15) – 24.6607 – Singing The Blues (1.54) – 24.67edit of Rolls 448A / 449A – Paul begins singing, but he can only remember one line, and mumbles his way though the forgotten verses. This performance runs right into "Rock–a–Bye Baby". Spurred on by some guitar licks from John, Paul vocalizes a few bars of this lullaby. Paul takes the lead vocal for "Singing the Blues", obviously knowing this song by heart.

08 – Dig It (4.10) – 24.72Roll 449A

09 – Dig It (5.07) – 24.73Roll 449A – Slightly less cohesive than the last performance, this one is distinguished by Billy’s participation. It is more of an instrumental than the earlier takes.

10 – Get Back (3.02) – 24.79Roll 450A – A complete run–through of the song. John continues to have problems with his guitar and neglects to play most of his first solo. Billy seems to be struggling a bit with the song.

11 – Get Back / Little Demon / Maybellene / You Can't Catch Me / Brown–Eyed Handsome Man (2.24) – 24.80Roll 450A – This medley starts out as "Get Back" which continues for the rest of the performance, as lyrics from various other songs are grafted on.

12 – Short Fat Fannie (1.29) – 24.81Roll 450A – John takes the lead vocal on this performance. After completing one verse he gives way to Paul and George, who whistle the rest of the song.

13 – Get Back (4.13) – 24.83edit of Rolls 1051B / 451A – A strong performance as Billy is playing better. John manages fine solos during his instrumental breaks.

14 – Bad Boy (2.38) – 24.87Roll 451A – John begins playing this song and actually remembers most of the words. Along with Ringo’s drumming, this performance features some inspired accompaniment from Billy and occasional vocal contributions from Paul.

15 – Sweet Little Sixteen (1.47) – 24.88Roll 451A – John begins to sing this cover version of Chuck Berry’s classic. Ringo and Billy join in at the second verse, and continue playing throughout the song.

16 – Around and Around (1.07) – 24.89Roll 451A – The transition between the previous number and "Around and Around" is exceptionally smooth. Except for one verse John remembers most of the words.

18 – School Day (1.36) – 24.91Roll 452A – John leads the band into another Chuck Berry song. He makes it through the first verse without a hitch, but begins to stumble on the words when he reaches the second.

19 – Stand By Me / Where Have You Been (2.39) – 24.92Roll 452A – John starts singing this oldie, accompanied instrumentally by Ringo and Billy. Paul sings along during the first chorus.

20 – Get Back (6.12) – 24.95Roll 452A – This is really two performances rolled into one. In general, the first pass is relaxed, assured, and fun. The musicianship is fine. Then, without missing a beat, Paul begins to sing from the top which heads into a brief instrumental improvisation, concluding with various improvised exhortations from Paul.

Saturday, January 2521 – I Lost My Little Girl (5.09) – 24.55Roll 459A – John takes the lead vocal, with Paul occasionally prompting him on the lyrics or singing backup.

22 – Two of Us (3.40) – 25.NEWRoll 459A – Run–through.

23 – Two of Us (3.24) – 25.NEWRoll 1061B – The middle–eight is repeated in this version.

24 – Bye Bye Love (1.00) – 25.8Roll 1061B – John and Paul harmonize in this Everly Brothers’ song while George is practicing his "Two Of Us" bass part.

27 – For You Blue (2.05) – 25.NEWRoll 464A – George asks John to "just make it one on each solo".

28 – For You Blue (2.28) – 25.NEWRoll 466A – And another run–through. Ringo’s drumming is heard more clearly and Billy joins in on the piano after John’s solo.

DISC EIGHT – 65.53The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part FourMultiple takes of "Let It Be", all never heard before, are the focal point of Disc 8. An even longer take than anyone ever knew existed of "Dig It" is here as well, clocking in at over 15 minutes! George plays nice acoustic versions of "Isn’t It a Pity" and "Window, Window" and for the very first time "Rip It Up" can be heard in it’s complete form.

Saturday, January 25 (continued)01 – For You Blue (3.02) – 25.25Roll 467A – This take is prefaced by the sound of someone rattling the ice cubes in his glass, and a brief false start. This take was used for the unreleased Get Back LP, and for the Let It Be album with a re–recorded vocal.

02 – For You Blue (2.29) – 25.NEWRoll 468A – A fine performance.

03 – For You Blue (2.37) – 25.22Roll 468A – Another run–through. George comments that it "felt nice" at the end of the take.

04 – Let It Be (2.22) – 25.NEWRoll 470A – Billy Preston is not present. George and John are unsure about what to play.

05 – Let It Be (2.15) – 25.NEWRoll 471A – "Psalm 22 Chapter 3" John comments just before the guitar solo which prompts Paul into "sermonizing" the rest of his vocal.

06 – I'm Talking About You (1.19) – 26.18Roll 474A – George sings a bit of this song in the background and John takes over the vocal. The backing is quite loose.

07 – Let It Be (3.15) – 25.NEWRoll 474A – Third verse lyrics partially copied from the first one.

08 – Let It Be (3.48) – 25.NEWRoll 474A – Another run–through, this time at a slower tempo.

Sunday, January 2609 – Isn't It a Pity (1.50) – 26.1Roll 477A – A lovely acoustic performance from George. He sings both of the song’s verses and is vocalizing through a third when he stops to engage in conversation.

10 – Window, Window (0.57) – 26.2Roll 477A – George performs two verses and the chorus of this pleasant original.

12 – High School Confidential (1.39) – 26.22Roll 481A – Paul plays piano and takes lead vocal on this oldie, basically accompanied only by Ringo’s drumming. He remembers little more than the chorus, which he repeats a few times.

13 – Great Balls of Fire (1.28) – 26.23Roll 481A – The band comes together for a lively performance. Paul begins to sing with Jerry Lee in mind, but remembers the recently released Tiny Tim cover version and modifies his vocal accordingly.

14 – Great Balls of Fire (0.33) – 26.23Roll 481A – A short reprise of the previous number.

15 – Let It Be (2.44) – 26.NEWRoll 483A – After Paul’s introductory lyrics, John comments "that’s right". Paul asks John and George to sing the background vocals quieter.

16 – Let It Be (3.47) – 26.NEWRoll 484A – The final arrangement of the song has been decided upon with Billy playing a little solo before the guitar solo. Paul comments that the instruments shouldn’t "drop out" for the last verse.

17 – Let It Be (3.46) – 26.NEWRoll 484A – A very good take of the song with nice background vocals, a nice organ solo from Billy and a pretty good solo from George.

18 – Let It Be (3.56) – 26.NEWRoll 485A – A looser performance than the previous with Paul throwing some "Yeah"s over George’s guitar solo. Paul makes a mistake going into the last verse.

19 – Let It Be (3.40) – 26.NEWRoll 486A – Paul and John count in. A fairly strong version with a funny last verse about a "cat" living in Weybridge and a lavatory?

20 – Dig It (15.05) – 26.27Edit of rolls 1074B / 487A – John leads the band through this rollicking improvisation, extemporizing lyrics around the title phrase. Heather bleats along as John and George engage in some call and response vocals. This improvisation was used, with different edits for each, on the Get Back album and the Let It Be album and film.

The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Two DISC 6 (68:10) I - Dig a Pony - NEW 2 - Dig a Pony 3 - I've Got a Feeling 4 - I've Got a Feeling - NEW 5 - I've Got a Feeling 6 - Get Back 7 - Get Back - NEW 8 - Get Back 9 - Get Back - NEW 10 - (Improvisation) - NEW 11 - Twenty Flight Rock - NEW 12 - Get Back - NEW 13 - Oh! Darting - NEW 14 - Oh! Darting - NEW 15 - Get Back - NEW 16 - On the Road to Marrakesh 17 - Two of Us - NEW 18 - Two of Us - NEW 19 - Two of Us-NEW 20 - Teddy Boy 21 - Two of Us 22 - Maggie Mae 23 - "I Fancy Me Chances" 24 - Two of Us - NEW 25 - Maggie Mae 26 - Her Majesty

DISC FIVE – 67.12The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part OneThere’s quite a bit of newly available material on this disc, and what isn’t new is either longer, presented in better quality, or both. With the move to the Beatle’s studio in the basement of the Apple building, the sessions now revolved (somewhat loosely) around recording releasable takes. So, after the usual spate of warm–up numbers, rehearsal and generally clowning, serious attempts at recording "Dig a Pony", "I’ve Got a Feeling", and "Don’t Let Me Down" begin. Mid–way through the session Billy Preston arrived and was immediately offered a temporary spot with the band (track 24).

06 – My Baby Left Me / That's All Right (3.09) –22.27Roll 404A – John sings this frantic Elvis tribute consisting of two songs written by Arthur Crudup. This performance is quite rough, but it has more life than anything else attempted this session.

08 – "All I Want is You" (1.22) – 22.32Roll 405A – John improvises an entirely new number, borrowing a few lines from "Madman".

09 – In The Middle of an Island / Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen By The Sea (0.56) – 22.33Roll 405A – John sings the first couple lines from "In the Middle of the Island". The tempo reminds Paul of another song from the 50’s, and he and John harmonize nicely on "Gilly Gilly…".

10 – (Improvisation) / Good Rockin' Tonight (2.43) – 22.34Roll 406A – John takes a phrase from Chuck Berry’s "Roll Over Beethoven", wraps a song around it and then tosses in a half remembered verse from "Good Rockin' Tonight".

11 – Forty Days (1.09) – 22.35Roll 406A – Paul leads the band into this oldie and attempts to amuse them with his Elvis voice. Eventually John sings more lines from "Forty Days".

12 – Too Bad About Sorrows (1.00) – 22.36Roll 406A – Paul spontaneously begins belting out this song and the others follow, although their backing is rages and off–key.

27 – Don't Let Me Down (3.52) – 22.NEWRoll 421A – John forgets the lyrics of the first verse. This pass features a piano ending from Billy and a short reprise.

28 – Don't Let Me Down (3.54) – 22.54Roll 423A – The Beatles and Billy make it through a fine, if slightly lackluster performance. This one was chosen for inclusion on the aborted Get Back LP.

DISC SIX – 68.10The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part TwoA flood of new material, from multiple attempts to record "I’ve Got a Feeling", "Get Back", and "Two of Us", to a fun interlude with "Twenty Flight Rock" (finally available!). It’s possible that a minute of the jam heard on track 10 was what Glyn Johns recorded on multi track tape and named "Blues". Note the recording dates for the Get Back album versions of "Dig a Pony" and "I’ve Got a Feeling" were wrong on BOTH Mark Lewishon’s Recording Sessions and Get Back.

Thursday, January 23 (continued)01 – Dig a Pony (3.57) – 22.NEWRoll 423A – Loose run–though with a very approximative solo. Paul shout’s "Get Off" at the end of the song.

02 – Dig a Pony (4.07) – 23.35Roll 424A – This performance is marred only by Ringo’s rather plodding drum part, and ragged falsetto harmonies from Paul. This take was chosen for the aborted Get Back LP.

03 – I've Got a Feeling (2.47) – 23.36Roll 424A – An acceptable performance that breaks down as John and Paul reach the dueling verse because John’s playing is too loud. This take was chosen for inclusion on the unreleased Get Back LP.

23 – "I Fancy Me Chances" (0.34) – 24.38Roll 443A – Without missing a beat, they go into this number but they remember very few of the lyrics beyond the title.

24 – Two of Us (3.20) – 24.NEWRoll 443A – Run through.

25 – Maggie Mae (0.38) – 24.41Roll 444A – Another duel from John and Paul. Although it’s lacking some of the energy of their attempts, multiple tried have allowed them to agree on the lyrics. This take was included on the album Let It Be.

26 – Her Majesty (2.08) – 24.48Roll 446A? – Paul backs himself on acoustic guitar. Halfway through the song Ringo joins in on drums and John makes very poor effort to follow along on slide guitar.

DISC THREE – 70.12The Best Of The Twickenham Sessions Part ThreeThe sometimes miserable Twickenham sessions reached their high point, both in terms of general mood and performance quality, on January 8th and 9th . The new songs were really starting to come into focus, as some very lively performances on this disc (tracks 3 through 5, 8, 12 and 13 for example) attest. Paul in particular is flowing with enthusiasm through out these performances from his spirited "Good morning" in the middle of "I’ve Got a Feeling" (track 5) to his frantic shouts that end a charged, early version of "Get Back" (track 18).

02 – Stand By Me (2.06) – 8.7Roll 71A – Paul sings most of this song in a mock operatic voice. The refrain reminds him or "Figaro, Figaro, Figaro" from Rossini’s comic opera The Barber of Seville and he breaks into this several times.

03 – Two of Us (3.12) – 8.11Roll 71A – Except for a botched beginning this performance is lively and fun, particularly because it’s played at a faster tempo than usual. An abridged version of this performance can be seen in the film Let It Be.

04 – Don't Let Me Down (3.10) – 8.14Roll 71A – John counts in for George’s introduction, and screams wildly after the first line. Despite occasional lapses in John’s recall of the lyrics, The Beatles turn in a fine performance.

05 – I've Got a Feeling (3.28) – 8.15Roll 71A – A very strong, virtually complete performance. The Beatles’ spirits are up, especially Paul, who shouts exuberantly after completing the middle eight. This performance was used in the film Let It Be.

06 – "Queen Says No to Pot–Smoking F.B.I. Members" (0.09)Roll 72A – John is referring to a newspaper story concerning penalties for marijuana use.

07 – Mean Mr. Mustard (1.51) – 8.31Roll 74A – John plays piano and takes lead vocal on this performance. The song is unfinished, as John has written two verses but only a rudimentary chorus.

08 – All Things Must Pass (3.11) – 8.33Roll 74A – This is a complete performance, although John doesn’t play piano much better than he plays organ. John and Paul sing harmony behind George.

09 – Fools Like Me (2.09) – 8.34Roll 74A – John breaks into this country number. The full band joins in one by one behind him and George sings along and provides a well played guitar solo.

10 – You Win Again (0.55) – 8.35Roll 74A – John leads another country song from Jerry Lee Lewis, singing in a nasal twang reminiscent of the song’s author Hank Williams.

11 – She Came in Through the Bathroom Window (2.50) – 8.NEWRoll 75A – Run through.

12 – Maxwell's Silver Hammer (3.39) – 8.NEWRoll 77A – Run through.

13 – I Me Mine (1.23) – 8.63Roll 83A – The band minus John (who waltzes with Yoko) runs through a complete performance. The musicianship is exceptionally tight for a brand new song.

Thursday, January 914 – For You Blue (2.02) – 9.20Roll 90A – The band plays a fruity, disjointed version in which George extemporizes lyrics.

15 – Two of Us (2.57) – 9.25Roll 91A – A complete up–tempo performance, which features an unusual guitar accentuation of the galloping riff. George provides a pleasant harmony vocal, and this performance is enjoyable despite the sloppy guitar work.

16 – "Suzy's Parlour" (2.06) – 9.31Roll 92A – John takes a nasal lead vocal as he kicks off this slightly off–color, up–tempo song. An edited version of this performance can be seen in the film Let It Be.

17 – I've Got a Feeling (3.53) –9.57Roll 92A – A complete and quite good run through. John sings a variant lyric about getting a face lift. This performance was used in the film Let It Be.

18 – Get Back (3.54) – 9.57Roll 97A – A hard and loud run–through. Pakistanis and Puerto Ricans have now been joined in the lyrics by Mohicans.

19 – Across The Universe (3.22) – 9.79Roll 98A? – A complete performance. John and Paul harmonize well, although Ringo’s overbearing drums are hardly appropriate to the contemplative nature of the song.

20 – Move It (0.54) – 9.72Roll 98A? – John takes lead vocal on this cover of a Cliff Richards rocker, though his recollection of the lyrics is spotty.

21 – Good Rockin' Tonight (0.51) – 9.73Roll 98A? – John takes lead on another oldie, with occasional help from Paul. The musicianship is fine, but John and Paul’s recollection of the lyrics is sporadic.

22 – Tennessee (2.02) – 9.74Roll 98A? – A pleasant cover of this oldie. John, Gorge, and Paul all share the vocals, with George having the best recollection of the lyrics.

23 – House of the Rising Sun (2.39) – 9.76Roll 9A – John starts off singing this traditional blues number and Paul joins in, and they have a fine time moaning and shooting their way though the song.

24 – "Commonwealth" (3.36) – 9.77Roll 99A – Paul begins to improvise this enjoyable rock and roll song. A hyperactivity of John offers response vocals, and even helps with the words at one point.

25 – "Get Off" (5.59) – 9.7926 – For You Blue (0.49) – 9.8027 – "Get Off" (0.52) – 9.81edit of rolls 98A/10B/100A– John and Paul turn a standard twelve bar blues lead by George into another political improvisation.

28 – Honey Hush (2.11) – 9.82Roll 100A – John and Paul share lead vocals on this fine performance. Unfortunately, they only seem to know one verse.

29 – For You Blue (2.08) – 9.84Roll 100A – A fairly tight run– through, with George singing the first verse and part of another. Although the lyrics aren’t finished, the musicianship is quite passable.

DISC FOUR – 68.16The Best Of The Twickenham Sessions Part FourGeorge’s abrupt departure from the group on January 10th highlights this disc. While the master tape unfortunately cuts out a split second after George announces that he’s leaving the band (did a Beatle or Beatle assistant quickly get their finger on the stop button?), for the very first time we can actually hear George’s footsteps as he walks away from the group. Note the incredibly off–the–wall performances that follow George’s exit (tracks 12 through 20). Also new here is a rollicking attempt at "Get Back" by the George–less Threetles, and a longer, complete look at the premiere of Paul’s "The Back Seat of My Car".

January 9 (continued)01 – "Ramblin' Woman" (2.05) – 9.85Roll 101A – George begins a string of solo acoustic performances. He’s enjoying himself and laughing as he plays the guitar.

02 – I Threw It All Away (2.07) – 9.86Roll 101A – George moves right into this Dylan song as someone taps along in the background. While he knows the song’s middle eight very well, he struggles with the verses.

04 – That'll Be The Day (1.03) – 9.92Roll 103A? – Paul picks up some riffs from John and begins a laid back performance of this song. Ringo and George don’t participate.

05 – Jenny, Jenny / Slippin' And Slidin' (2.04) – 9.94Roll 103A? – Once again John’s guitar riffs lead Paul into a performance. As the song progresses, first Ringo the George join back in.

06 – Let It Be (2.39) – 9.97Roll 106A – A complete run–through.

Friday. January 10th07 – Hi Heel Sneakers (2.03) – 10.408 – Hi Heel Sneakers (0.49) – 10.5edit of Rolls 112A / 113A – John and Paul share the lead vocal on a lively performance of this oldie. George provides capable guitar backing, and the whole band is clearly familiar with the song.

09 – Get Back (2.05) – 10.3Roll 114A – The Beatles turn in this rollicking performance. The only major mistake is John’s, as he starts to sing the verse about Jo Jo instead of the new verse.

10 – Two Of Us (2.02) – 10.2Roll 115A – An energetic, if incomplete performance. The Beatles seems to have the song pretty much down, but during the second middle eight the performance breaks down.

11 – I'm Talking About You (1.19) – 10.6Roll? – George calmly announces he is leaving The Beatles immediately.

18 – The Peanut Vendor (0.20) – 10.18Roll 118A – John offers this brief reprise as he begins to play the same rhythm in a different key. Paul and Ringo join in as John croons "Brazil".

19 – It's Only Make Believe (2.44) – 10.19Roll 118A – John leads the band into this Conway Twitty hit. John manages to do quite well for the first verse. Paul chimes in and takes over the lead vocal. The performance degenerates into buffoonery.

20– "Through a London Window" (1.08) – 10.20Roll 118A – Paul’s falsetto rendition of this song. John and Ringo back him with simple instrumentation.

Monday, January 1321 – Get Back (2.42) – 13.NEWRoll 134A – A run–through by the three remaining Beatles.

22 – Get Back (2.43) – 13.12Roll 134A – An attempt to play the song straight though but the performance is a disaster. John isn’t sure what to sing, or when, and Ringo doesn’t know when to sneak in his drum fills.

23 – (Improvisation) (1.20) – 14.10Roll 138A – Paul and Ringo begin a boogie–woogie piano duet. An edited version of this performance ended up in the film Let It Be.

24 – The Back Seat of My Car (4.12) – 14.1925 – The Back Seat of My Car (0.42) – 14.20edit of Rolls 138A / 121B / 139A – Paul unveils another work in progress on piano. The lyrics are unfinished, but the tune is pretty and shows obvious promise.

26 – "Song of Love" (2.32) – 14.2227 – "Song of Love" (1.04) – 14.23Roll 139A – Paul plays a complete version of this sentimental love ballad, once again accompanying himself on piano.

28 – Hello, Dolly (1.30) – 14.25Roll 139A – Paul delivers a surprisingly straight version of this famous show tune. Ringo taps out the song’s rhythm on his tea cup as Paul plays piano.

29 – "Madman" (3.17) – 14.27Roll 145A – John is on electric piano and leads Paul and Ringo through many mostly identical verses of his composition.

The Best Of The Twickenham Sessions Part Two DISC 2 (71:22) 1 - "My Imagination" 2 - (Improvisation) - NEW 3 - I'm Talking About You 4 - Dizzy Miss Lizzie 5 - Money (That's What I Want) 6 - Sure to Fall 7 - Don't Let Me Down 8 - Two of Us 9 - Across The Universe 10 - Hear Me Lord 11 - All Things Must Pass 12 - The Long and Winding Road 13 - Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight 14 - Get Back 15 - Get Back - NEW 16 - Get Back -NEW 17 - "Woman Where You Been So Long" 18 - "Oh Julie, Julia- 19 - A Shot of Rhythm and Blues 20 - Rock and Roll Music 21 - Lucille 22 - Gone, Gone, Gone 23 - The One After 909 24 - Don't Let Me Down - NEW 25 - Thirty Days 26 - Be-Bop-A-Lula 27 - Lotta Lovin'/Somethin' Else 28 - She Came In Through the Bathroom Window

"Thirty Days" – The Ultimate Get Back CollectionThe Beatles’ Get Back session have been written about to death so we’ll keep it brief. The Beatles gathered on January 2, 1969 at Twickenham Studios with the intention of rehearsing brand new songs for a concert that would be televised live throughout the world. They also agreed to have the entire process filmed for an accompanying documentary. When the sessions drew to a close thirty days later, the spectacular live show had been downgraded to an impromptu concert on the roof of the Apple building, and the live television broadcast and documentary had been combined and reconfigured into a single feature film. The Beatles left behind them a half–finished album and boxes upon boxes of taped rehearsals, performances, arguments and jams. It is from those boxes that this set is culled.

So what makes this collection ‘ultimate’? First off, everything on these 17 discs has been digitally transferred with great care from master tapes. So they sound better than they ever have before! More than 500 rolls of tape were sifted through, and only the very best and most interesting performances were chosen for inclusion. In some cases performances have been painstakingly reconstructed from as many as three original tape sources. Secondly, the dialogue and lengthy stop–and–go rehearsals that sometimes made listening to Get Back sessions a chore have been bypassed, with only "takes", serious run–throughs, oldies and the more interesting structured jams being presented. All the performances that made up the Let It Be album (except for those recorded outside the time frame of the Get Back sessions) can be heard in their original, unadulterated form. And for the very first time the January 30th rooftop concert has been meticulously reconstructed from ALL existing source material, while the January 31st session that produced "Two of Us", "The Long and Winding Road", and "Let It Be" is presented in a form more complete (and enjoyable!) form than ever before.

In the track listings that follow, each song is cross–referenced to its entry in Get Back: The Unauthorized Chronicle of The Beatles’ Let It Be Disaster, the authoritative work on these sessions. The prefix of each number represents the day in January 1969 on which the song was performed, while the suffix places the song in chronological order within that day. All tracks that weren’t covered in that book have only a day prefix followed by the word "NEW". Even a cursory glance at the track listings (especially those from January 22nd to 31st Apple sessions) reveals that an avalanche of new and exciting material is waiting for the listener! And even if the song is "old", it is most often in better quality or more complete than it was on any previous issue. You can also see that in some places the authors of Get Back were incorrect with their datings and performance placement, so the correct information is presented here. So hit "play" and enjoy the Get Back sessions like you never have before.

Humphey Lestouq, M.B.E.

Recording Information

The majority of the audio found on this set was recorded by the Let It Be film crew. Two Nagra mono reel-to-reel tape recorders were utilized to capture nearly every moment of the sessions. One tape recorder was assigned to each camera and, each time that camera began filming a beep would be heard on the tape to allow for later synchronization with the picture. Short reels running at a very fast speed were utilized capturing only 16 minutes per roll. Since two tape recorders were running nearly all the time, the time it took to thread up a new reel would theoretically be captured on the other machine. At Twickenham, the rolls for each recorder were simply numbered consecutively, and these numbers were announced (when the soundman remembered) at the start of the roll with the appropriate camera designation (A or B) added on. A total of 223 rolls were recorded in this fashion at Twickenham. When filming moved to Apple the recording process remained the same, but the numbering system differed slightly. The sound rolls that corresponded with each camera were still numbered consecutively, but the A rolls were arbitrarily restarted at #400, and the B rolls at #1014. 307 rolls were recorded at Apple, making for a total of approximately 530 rolls (about 141 hours, though only 80 or so it if is unique). The material on the final disc of this set was recorded on E.M.I.'s mobile unit which Apple borrowed when Magic Alex's equipment failed to function. Those were the days indeed.

DISC 1 – Playing Time 66.07

The Best of the Twickenham Sessions Part OneDisc 1 joins the sessions just before 11.00am on January 3rd (the January 2nd session being bypassed on this set because it was completely documented on Yellow Dog’s "Ultimate Collection" series). This disc is highlighted by a trio of early Lennon–McCartney compositions (tracks 15 through 18) which are otherwise lost, as well as a slew of enjoyable "oldies" that the band often used to warm up with. Brand new to CD are early versions of "I’ve Got a Feeling," "Don’t Let Me Down," and "Maxwell’s Silver Hammer," and a rather provocatively worded improvisation led by Paul, dubbed "You Wear Your Women Out," for a lack of a more formal title.

10 – I’m So Tired (2.32) – 3.30Roll 14A? – Paul takes the lead vocal on this Lennon composition. The lyrics are similar to those in the version released on The Beatles, except that Paul laughingly interjects a line about abstaining from alcohol.

11 – Ob–La–Di, Ob–La–Da (1.30) – 3.31Roll 14A? – Paul’s Jamaican influenced bass leads off this slightly off–color version of a song that originally appeared on The Beatles. John does most of the singing here.

12 – The Third Man Theme (1.50) – 3.35Roll 14A? – After a few tentative bars, The Beatles play an almost perfect rendition of this instrumental favorite.

14 – I’ve Got a Feeling (4.12) – 3.NEWRoll 15A? – A rather competent run through marred only by a poor guitar solo from John.

15 – The One After 909 (3.17) – 3.45Roll 16A? – Paul and John share vocals on a substantially complete but sloppy performance of this old Lennon/McCartney number.

16 – "Because I Know You Love Me So" (2.33) – 3.46Roll 16A? – John leads them into this pleasant, country–influenced number. John and Paul duet on this song, although John is a bit off mike.17 – "I’ll Wait ‘Til Tomorrow" (1.04) – 3.48Roll 17A? – Paul and John share vocals on another unpublished Lennon/McCartney original, which is even more country influenced than "Because I Know You Love Me So"

18 – "Won’t You Please Say Goodbye" (1.01) – 3.51Roll 17? – Another early Lennon/McCartney tune. John and Paul sing what they can remember from this one.

19 – Bring It on Home (1.55) – 3.52Roll 17A? – Reminded by John of "Bring It On Home," George begins to sing it, and Paul and John join in.

20 – Hitch Hike (2.00) – 3.53Roll 17A? – George handles the lead vocal on this lively performance. John and Paul go to falsetto for the chorus.

21 – You Can’t Do That (2.15) – 3.54Roll 17A? – John, Paul, and George share vocals on this version of a song from their A Hard Day’s Night LP.

22 – Hippy Hippy Shake (2.36) – 3.55edit of Roll 17A/ roll Slate 40 take 123 – This is a complete performance of this Chan Romero number. Paul is very enthusiastic, but has trouble remembering how the song goes. Note that the soundman’s slate number has been edited out.

23 – Short Fat Fannie (3.03) – 3.60Roll 19A? – This cover of Larry Williams’ novelty tune is one of the better performances of this session. George handles the lead vocal, with occasional help from Paul, and seems to remember almost all the words.

24 – Midnight Special (2.08) – 3.61Roll 19A? – John leads the band into this traditional folk tune. Paul sings along and they have a great time even though they remember hardly anything but the chorus.

25 – What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For (When They Don’t Mean What They Say!) (1.04) – 3.64Roll 19A? – John, Paul, and George all hop gleefully into this one. George seems to know all the words but Paul has them a bit scrambled.

26 – All Things Must Pass (3.26) – 3.80Roll 23A? – The Beatles launch into a complete performance of the song. They struggle a bit when they reach the middle eight, and also have difficulty at the finish, but this is still a great improvement over the previous attempts on January 2.

Monday, January 628 – (Improvisation) (6.02) – 6.12Roll 23A – Paul plays an original instrumental, struggling a bit on the organ. After two minutes or so, Ringo takes his spot behind the drums and joins in. Over time John, then George, join in as well as the performance mutates into a simplistic jam.

DISC TWO – 71.22The Best Of The Twickenham Sessions Part TwoAnother disc that intermingles embryonic versions of the Beatles own compositions (including some fresh glimpses of "Get Back" right at its moment of genesis!) with excursions from their rock n roll roots. The admiration that each of the Beatles held for the likes of Gene Vincent, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Larry Williams, and Eddie Cochran couldn’t be more evident as they usually had more energy to play song s from their youth than work on their own material. It should be noted that tracks 1 and 9, while not necessarily "new," are far, far more complete here than on previous issues.

Monday, January 6 (continued)01 – "My Imagination" (7.06) – 6.15edit of 33A/34A/11B – A faster and spirited improvisation. Paul, who has moved from organ to bass, improvises a few lines of lyric. Much of this jam has a blues feel to it.

04 – Dizzy Miss Lizzie (2.41) – 6.16Roll 37A? – The Beatles return to their rock and roll roots with a loose cover version of this Larry Williams’ classic.

05 – Money (That's What I Want) (2.24) – 6.17Roll 37A? – Except for an errant wah pedal, this is a fairly straightforward cover version of Barrett Strong’s recording.

06 – Sure To Fall (2.47) – 6.19Roll 37A? – Once they remember the title, they attempt to play it. This performance is quite nice. John and Paul absolutely enjoy harmonizing on this pleasant country tune.

07 – Don't Let Me Down (3.08) – 6.35Roll 43A – This is a complete run through of the song and it’s a strong take until the end.

08 – Two of Us (2.48) – 6.56Roll 44A – This is a complete performance and improvement is evident.

09 – Across The Universe (2.55) – 6.65Roll 45A – Despite the lack of lyrics, John performs his composition but no one is particularly interested.

10 – Hear Me Lord (1.32) – 6.71Roll 45A – This is basically a George solo performance, except for a few tentative bars from the bass.

11 – All Things Must Pass (3.33) – 6.71Roll 45A – The Beatles take the song from the top and, despite some sloppy musicianship, turn in a good performance.

Tuesday, January 712 – The Long and Winding Road (4.53) – 7.1Roll 50A – A solo piano performance from Paul, who is once again playing for the camera to pass the time until the other Beatles arrive.